THE SPEAKING NOTEBOOK
Issue 001 ·

Where things are

Can you describe this picture?

An illustrated outdoor street market. Closest to the viewer, a man in a green jacket stands with his back turned beside crates of apples, while a stallholder in an apron hands a paper bag to a woman carrying a wicker basket, a small dog at her feet. Further in, a blue awning shelters two people sorting fruit into wooden crates. Beyond them a café with people at outdoor tables, a cat resting above the doorway. To one side, a couple talking, a child crouching by a crate of oranges, and a vegetable stall. Bicycles are parked against a yellow wall hung with potted plants.

Most people describe a picture by listing actions. A man is buying vegetables. A woman is carrying a basket. Some children are playing. All true, all correct English — and it still sounds flat.

What is missing is location. Where is the man standing? What is happening closer to you, and what is happening further away? Placing things in the frame is what turns a list into a description, and it is the single change that makes the biggest difference in 60 seconds.

Look at the scene for a moment. Then record without stopping. Keep your vocabulary and keep your pace — only add where.

Try using
  1. 01"In the foreground…"
  2. 02"On the left…"
  3. 03"Behind them…"
60 SECONE TAKE

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